The Full Story
MAKING WAVES
REPRESENTATIONAL ART IN ST IVES 1930 - 1960
This period witnessed the heyday of the St Ives Society of Artists (“STISA”), which had been formed in 1927. More than a dozen Royal Academicians were involved, including Julius Olsson, Terrick Williams, Stanhope Forbes, John Lamorna Birch, Laura Knight, Dod Procter, Stanley Spencer and Sir Frank Brangwyn. Due to the indefatigable enthusiasm of Robert Borlase Smart, STISA’s Secretary, touring shows were organised around the country and, between 1931 and 1949, over 20 public galleries hosted exhibitions by STISA, several more than once. This brought St Ives art to a wider public than ever before
This exhibition concentrates predominantly on the St Ives resident artists whose contemporary style found favour with many of the public galleries that hosted these touring shows so that examples of their work were acquired for their permanent collections. These include artists such as Moffat Lindner, Borlase Smart, John Park, Arthur Hayward, Dorothea Sharp, George Bradshaw, Bernard Ninnes, Thomas Maidment, Leonard Richmond, Leonard Fuller, Marcella Smith and others.
St. Ives Museum is delighted for the opportunity to present a collection of these works, executed and now displayed in the place of their origin
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The exhibition will run until the end of October 2026. We would like to thank Mr David Tovey for his wealth of knowledge and support in implementing this exhibition.
